At last month’s Duke Invitational, Keyandre Davis of the University of Virginia recorded a top mark of 63.53 meters (208-feet, 5-inches) in the men’s hammer throw.
That was a personal best in the event for the Union High School graduate, but he is still striving to do better.
“I hit a PR but honestly, it was not my best at all,” Davis said. “Hoping to put up a big throw in these last few meets. … I think my season has been going well overall. I fell a little short in the indoor season, but that just motivated me to work harder for outdoor.”
Next up for Davis is the Atlantic Coast Conference track and field championships on May 15-17 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The hammer throw and discus are his events.
“My mindset is to trust what I’ve been doing and go out there to compete,” he said. “I’ve worked my butt off all season, taking it slow and learning every day. ACCs is the time to give it everything I’ve got and score points for the team.”
Davis finished third in the weight throw in the ACC indoor meet and has had two first-place finishes in the hammer throw over the course of the outdoor season.
What has been his coolest experience this season?
“I’d say traveling to the Drake Relays,” Davis said. “Even though I didn’t perform my best [in finishing seventh in the hammer throw], there was a lot of Olympic-level talent there. Seeing those top guys compete made me even more motivated to work toward being part of that.”
Davis spent two seasons at South Carolina-Upstate before transferring to Virginia.
“The transition to UVa has been a big step in the right direction for me, both academically and athletically,” Davis said. “The kinesiology program here is outstanding. The competition in ACC Track keeps getting tougher, which makes me feel even more competitive and confident training with [Throws] Coach [Brandon] Amo. Just a lot of learning and repetition needs to be done.”
Davis hopes to finish the 2025 season on the big stage.
“After ACCs, I’ll be competing at regionals in Jacksonville, Florida,” Davis said. “My goal is to make nationals in Oregon for the first time, which is pretty exciting. I was happy to qualify for regionals last year, but it feels even better to have a real shot at nationals this time.”